3rd grade · English Language Arts · Unit 6 of 13
Prefixes & Suffixes
Word parts that change meaning
What your child practices
Learning what prefixes (un-, re-, pre-, dis-) and suffixes (-ful, -less, -er, -ly) mean, finding base words and using new words in sentences.
Alabama Course of Study content standard: 3.15; 3.R2 · using prefixes and suffixes to read and understand words
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- A prefix goes at the start of a word: un- and dis- mean not, re- means again, pre- means before.
- A suffix goes at the end: -ful means full of, -less means without, -er means one who.
- Cover the prefix and suffix to find the base word.
Example: What is the base word in “carefully”? Take off the suffix -ly: careful. Take off the suffix -ful: care. Answer: care
Prefixes & Suffixes in Alabama
In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 6 of 13 in 3rd grade English Language Arts, after Spelling Patterns and before Word Pairs.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
What does “disagree” mean?
disagree
- agree again
- agree before
- not agree
not agree
Hint: The prefix dis- means not, or the opposite of. So “disagree” means “not agree.”
Question 2
What is the base word in “unhelpful”?
unhelpful
- helpful
- help
- unhelp
help
Hint: Take off the prefix and the suffix. The word left in the middle is the base word: unhelpful → help.
Question 3
What does “preheat” mean?
preheat
- heat again
- heat before
- not heat
heat before
Hint: The prefix pre- means before. So “preheat” means “heat before.”
Question 4
Which word means “a person who helps”?
- helpful
- helpless
- helper
helper
Hint: Look at the word parts. The suffix -er can mean a person who does something. So “helper” means “a person who helps.”
Question 5
What does “dislike” mean?
dislike
- like again
- not like
- like before
not like
Hint: The prefix dis- means not, or the opposite of. So “dislike” means “not like.”
Question 6
Which word means “full of care”?
- carefully
- careless
- careful
careful
Hint: Look at the word parts. The suffix -ful means full of. So “careful” means “full of care.”